Dementia Makes Moving to a New Place Hard on Everyone. Here’s How to Make It Easier.

It's hard enough for older men and women to move from their home to an assisted living community with all their faculties intact. It's even tougher when one is dealing with dementia, which could make such a change not only emotional, but also confusing and highly upsetting, cautions the Philadelphia Inquirer . Consequently, experts on such transitions urge family members and assisted-living employees to be extra-understanding during the weeks, even months, after someone with dementia completes such a move. Kelly Carney, corporate director of memory care services at Acts Retirement Life Communities, and other professionals offer several tips to make the transition easier. If possible, for instance, take your loved one to visit his or her new home before they move in. Other tips range from being positive and "talking up the benefits of moving" to "taking a favorite chair, comforter, and/or pillow" to familiarize the staff with who your loved one is and what his or her life was like. Finally, expect the move to be tough, but know that the worst of it will pass.